A FRAMEWORK designed to increase the employment of graduates from universities in Wales will be launched next week.

Student body NUS Wales, Higher Education Wales, CBI Wales and university funding council Hefcw have signed an agreement to support good quality jobs growth. The challenge, they said, was to match high-end students with ambitious employers in a global knowledge economy.

Better and higher level skills are considered crucial to increasing Wales’ productivity, which will in turn lead to higher rates of employment. The agreement, underpinned by a detailed action plan, commits the four signatories to work together to improve the job-related skills of all Welsh graduates.

Deputy Minister for Skills Jeff Cuthbert will launch the Skills and Employability Framework on Tuesday at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.

Church against gay marriage

THE Church in Wales has told the Government’s consultation on gay marriage that same-sex couples already have all the recognition and protection they need with civil partnerships.

Their response to the consultation emphasises the Church is ‘committed to providing pastoral care and support to all who commit themselves to the important task of maintaining exemplary and faithful relationships, and nurturing family life.

Kneesy does it, generating power

WEARABLE electronic gadgets could in future be powered by people’s knees, a study has shown.

Scientists have tested an “energy harvester” electricity generator designed to be strapped to the knee. Walking motion causes plectrum-like tabs within the device to “pluck” energy generating arms, causing vibrations that produce electrical current.

So far researchers have only been able to generate a tiny two milliwatts of power, but improvements are expected to yield more than 30 milliwatts.